Since moving to Seattle, I’ve learned of the many recommended weekend getaways from the city. San Juan Islands was one of these spots. San Juan is made up of 400 islands and my friends and I went to Lopez Island because we found a Kayaking tour groupon.

Friday July 29, 2016

We left work early and started our drive to Anacortes, where our ferry departs from. After grabbing a quick bite at Adrift Restaurant, we drove onto our 45 minutes ferry ride to Lopez. The ferry ride was picturesque as the sun was beginning to set upon the rolling hills on the water.

Our cottage exceeded our expectations. The garden, house and location was cute, cozy and charming. Alongside the waterfront from our deck, we watched the sunset as we chatted away sipping drinks paired with popcorn and raspberries.

Saturday July 30, 2016

We made an eventful itinerary. We started the morning with baked goods from Holly B’s Bakery and juice from Vortex Cafe. The ham and gruyere croissant one of the best I’ve had. I think it was the maple syrup glazed that made it extra unique. We went to the local Farmers Market to get some fruit and check out the artisans. Surprisingly, there was minimal produce and no fruit there… mostly take-out eats and artisans.

We moved onto a nearby public beach so the dogs could run around and play before buying some fruit at the grocery store and eating lunch at Haven. The restaurant atmosphere was lovely but my cuban sandwich was unimpressive. After lunch, I rode my bike to Shark Reef Sanctuary while the others drove. The bike ride was relatively flat but not as scenic as I thought. I only hiked part way through Shark Reef Sanctuary since I forgot my bike lock and had to roll it through the trail. However, I did see a nice view of the water.

We left for our kayak tour after that. We spent about 2 hours in the water and it was relaxing. The water was calm and the ripples mimicked glass. I was blown away by seeing a couple of jellyfish in the water next to the kayak and this one point when a seal popped his/her head up next to us.

After getting back to the cottage, Emily and I were grilling outside where two deer just popped next to us against the sunset backdrop. We were surprised and stunned. It was magical! I ran inside to tell the other girls who grew up in the pacific northwest and they were not phased at all… I guess it’s common to have deer in your yard out west. We bonded over a fantastic fajita dinner on the deck with the sunset. It was so nice.

Sunday July 31, 2016

After an elaborate home-cooked breakfast, we packed up and went to town for an hour before the ferry. At 12:30pm, we lined up our cars in the ferry queue hoping to catch the 2:40pm home. We were disappointed to see many cars ahead of us. We knew only about 43 cars would board the 2:40pm, 23 on the 3:05 and then the next ferry departs, 3 hours later at 6:15pm. We started counting… Our two cars were 65 and 66. Devastated but hopeful, we waited 2 hours for the first ferry while hilariously playing Heads-up. We didn’t make it on the 2:40pm as expected but now we were number 21 & 22. We should be able make it on the 3:05pm ferry and not need to wait 3 more hours but it’s not guaranteed as lenghtly cars reduces the 23 count. 3:05pm ferry arrives and cars start moving. The traffic controller suddenly stops Nikki’s car… Everyone was getting anxious. She waves to let Nikki past but then stops Claire’s car. We were now worried that Nikki was the last car allowed. Waiting… waiting… after a good minute or two… she finally waves us through and we were one of the last cars aboard. We all sighed relief once aboard. Clearly, you have to plan ahead and get to the ferry line early.

It was a perfect summer weekend getaway with great company. The island life was so relaxing and serene. You can’t help but feel calm and at ease (well except for the ferry part). I can’t wait to go back but to the other islands such as Orcas, Friday Harbor etc.